Update, 2:00pm: Republican Registrar of Voters Fred DeCaro explained that Chief of Police Heavey has personally inspected the parking situation at GHS, and dispatched upwards of six officers to manage parking and traffic.

“If a voter votes at Greenwich High, they should feel comfortable heading to the polls at any time,” DeCaro said. “If they wish to be doubly-certain and wait until all teachers have vacated around 3:45PM, that’s also an option.”

At about 1:00pm there was no line to turn into Hillside or into the parking lot. Behind the building (by performing arts center) there were free parking spots in the area reserved for voters.

But at the front of the campus, parking was maxed out. Cars were parked, with police permission, along the active lane of northbound traffic on Hillside Rd (which is normally no parking or stopping at any time).

There were also cars parked where normally not allowed including on the grass and in yellow striped no parking areas.

Update 11:30am: Kim Eves at Greenwich Schools said the district usually holds professional development at Greenwich High School on election day, and that staff will be gone by 3:00pm or so.

Original story: 10:15am. Greenwich Police Captain Kraig Gray released a statement around 10:00am Tuesday morning, election day, about a situation at Greenwich High School, election polling place no. 7.

Captain Gray said there was the situation was “a conflict between the school’s normal use and the polling area resulting in a lack of parking.”

Gray said police have reassigned several officers to Greenwich High School.

“We have found parking and the situation has been resolved,” he said in an audio statement. “Anyone with issues should respond to the polling place and officers will direct them to the right location.”

In an email around 9:00am, a resident of Maple Ave described the situation as intolerable.

“It took a half an your to turn onto Hillside Road and another half hour to turn into the parking lot, only to find absolutely no available parking,” she wrote. “The town in its wisdom scheduled a huge teachers conference that has taken up all available parking and made the polling place inaccessible.”

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill reminds voters to contact the state election hotline at 866-SEEC-INFO or email elections@ct.gov if they encounter issues voting.

More About

the cost of living in Greenwich is far higher than the national average. There is a shortage of jobs that pay a living wage. Residents are challenged to pay a higher percentage of their income for housing and other basic needs. The result is an increase in the number of people in Greenwich struggling to make ends meet.

Denise Merrill recounted the pushback from both Democrat and Republican Secretaries of State against Donald Trump's Commission on Voter Integrity when they requested voter lists, as well as social security numbers, veterans' history and voting histories.

A scathing editorial in the Hartford Courant calls Greenwich out for not using the optional (for now) real time electronic reporting through the secretary of state. Republican Registrar of voters Fred DeCaro said the existing method is more timely.

"We monitored the parking lot and called staff out of sessions to move their cars if they did park in voter-designated spaces. We also called in police officers to manage the traffic flow." – Interim Superintendent Ralph Mayo

"Many of the issues you raise are not influenced by student parking on Hillside. Parents make illegal maneuvers, they pull into driveways, they double park. They will do this whether there is street parking or not. ...The Greenwich Police Dept has allowed that practice out of sheer practicality. There are not good options for after school pick up." – GHS Headmaster Dr. Chris Winters

In Case You Missed It

Emmy winner and Grammy, Tony, and Drama Desk-nominated arranger and composer, music producer/director, and singer/songwriter Rob Mathes returns to the Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, on Friday, December 14, and Saturday, December 15, at 8:00 p.m., and the Schimmel Center, Sunday, December 16, at 4:00 p.m., for the annual Rob Mathes Holiday Concert. Rob Mathes is celebrating 25 years of performing his annual holiday concert and is honored to be joined this year by special guests Sting, Vanessa Williams and saxophonist David Sanborn, who will each perform a couple holiday-themed songs with Rob and the band.
Tickets are available at:
Performing Arts Center - December 14 & 15, 2018, 8:00 p.m.
Friday, December 14, and Saturday, December 15, 8:00 p.m., at the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College (PAC), 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, New York.